Freight-car door



F. J. HIRSCHMANN FREIGHT CAR Doony Filed Nov. 24, 1926 Jan. 13, 1931.

Patented Jan. 13,1931 O c l l i i UNITED LSTA-TES'. PATENPFICE' FnnEnIcK ,ToHNnIRscHMANNmF sAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA l NnEIGHT-cAnDooR Apiiiieatiofn niet` November 24, 19236. serial No. 150,508.

The present" invention relates to improvemotion to the rod. The free end of the latter ments in freight car doors, and its particular is held in a bracket 9 entering into the same Objectis to provide improved supporting and thru the slot 11 and held againstremoval-by locking means for a freight car door. It is a bolt 12. The rod is of sufficient length to 5. particularly proposed in this connectlon to allow the door 13 to slide from'an active po- 5;

provide a sliding support for the door ofthe sition in which it closes .the door opening'to character described that allows of easy operaan inactive position inrwhich'it clears the door tion of the door, prevents binding action, and opening.- The `door 13 is formed with a hood allowsthe door to be easily taken off for re- 14 extending thruout the length thereof and l1o placement by a new door. It is Afurther proadapted to ride on the rod 3, the hood being posed .to provide `improved locking means provided, below the rod, with a plurality Vo f adapted to `loc-kfthe door in any one of'a numrollers 16 which prevent binding of the'door ber of different positions. It is further pron its runway. It will be, noted that when it posed to provide locking means that will hold is desired to replace a door by VanotherV one, I15 the door firmly, in placeand allow the door it is only necessary to pullout the bolt 12 65' to bermly Vpressed upon the door frame.r from the the bracket 9 and to swingthe rod It is a further object of the invention to pro'- 3 outwardly and downwardly whichy vwill vide a locking means that may be easily apcause the door to roll olf by its own weight;` y plied and` easily released. n Further `objects f Below the bottom edge of the door, there is and advantages of my linvention will appear supported, in bearings 17 a shaft 18 which 70 as the specificationproceeds. 4 a' Y a has-a number of arms 19 fastened thereto and The' preferred form of my? invention- 1s is provided witha handle 21 byy means of illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which it may be manipulated. The door it# whichself is formed in its lower portionwith a Figure 1 shows lan elevation of my door plurality of vertically extending Vgrooves or 75 i as attached to the side of a railroad car, depressions 22 corresponding in their spac- Figure 2 a vertical section takenalong line ing to the spacing of the arms 19 and allowing 2-2 of Figure 1, ji the latter to rest therein. VIt will be noted Figure 3 a verticalsection taken along lino that by manipulation' of the handle 21, the

3-3 of Figure 1, i arms may be pressed into the grooves 22 if the 80 Figure 41 a vertical section taken along line door is in the proper position `andthe" arms 1d-11 of Figure 1, and y Y may be made to press upon the door so as to Figure 5 a detail view of al supporting'elehold the same closeto ythe door frame while ment as seen from line 5 5 of Figure l. f f holding the door against sliding motion. KVIn While I havefshown onlythe preferred the act of pressing'the arms upon 'thevdoorg 'g5 form of the invention, Inwish tohave it -unthe handle passes over a member 23 the derstood that' various changesor modificahandle being formed with a slot- 24' forthis tions may be made within-the scope of the purpose, and also over-a pawl 26 lwhich latclaims hereto attachedf without departing ter is shaped and weighted to rise behind the 40 fromgthe spirit of the invention. l handle` and to prevent its return. For re- 9o The side wall 1 of a railroad car 'is'formed leasing the handle, the pawl 26 is manually with adoor opening 2' and has a rod "3 supoperated.` It will be noted that thefdistribuportedfabove tlie doorI opening. The latter `-,tion ofthe arms 19' allows the ydoorto be rod is formedat one en d with ya ring 4 adapted locked in any one of a number `of positions 4 .5 to be 'slippedfover anfj elbow-shaped vbolt 6 sincelthe thirdarm 19 may be used to bear e5 fastened to the-'sideofthe railroad car by upon either the first or the second or the means of a nut 7 and a cotter pin 8. -The elthird groove 22, while when the door is open bow in the bolt allows Athe rod to be swung altogether, the fourth arm 19 becomes active. sideway or downwardly orfthru any intery The lower sectionof the door .may be held vening plane, thereby imparting aI universal from swinging outwardly too far by means loo the rollers. The door may be removed alto-l gether without diiculty by withdrawing the bolt 12 from the bracket 9 and allowing the rod 3 to swing forward and downward'as inthe hood 14 and bears against the vertical flange Aof the angle'iron 29 when the door is suspended vertically. Y

The manner of using my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The door rides easily on the rod 3 due to the length of the supporting space of the hoodand' duetov the interposit'ion of dicated in dotted linesgin Figurel, and-anew door may Ybe'placed on the rod in a; similar manner. Tounlock the door, it is only'necessary torelease the pawl 26S-and to'pull the handle21 downward which-frees the door of the arms 22and allows the same tov slide back and forth. The door may be easily locked in either closed,l or half-open, or open position by forcingk the arms 19 into the depressions/or grooves 22and the handle is locked against-reversal by the pawl26. Opening and closingof the doorl may be effected with.- out any trouble since at noV place can there be any binding of the door. v The door cannot be locked. in closed position from within the carY sothat the presence of an unauthorized person within the car will be .readily noticed from the Caboose becausethe door will swing unless locked from the outside. vantage of one continuous hinge or hoodl is apparent since in an arrangement with several hinges. it frequently yoccurs that the hingesbecome disalined which makes it difficultto operate the door. Y

It will beseen that my closure is absolutely watertight dueto the engagement .of the vbar 31 A.with the angle iron on top and the pressure ofthe4 arms 19-at the bottom and that this manner of securing the door prevents thesamefrom warping. In order to insure a tight fit-of the door againstthe kwall of the car, the .member 23-may be adjustably secured in the wall by meansof screws. 32; passing through flanges 33 ofthe said member into the wall ofthe car,v while shims may be interposed between the wall andthe flanges for positioning thetmember 23.

I claim: y y 1. In combination, a slidably suspended freight car door and means movable transversely to t-he plane of the door adaptedto bear thereon for holding the same in place, against `lateral movement, both to open and' closed positions. Y 2. In combination, a slidably suspended freight cardoor and an arm pivoted to swing in a plane transverse to` that of the door adapted to` bear'thereon for holdingthe same inrplace, against both lateral movement.

.4; In combinatiomra The adopening and Vclosing i 3. I-n combination, a: slidably suspended freight car door, a shaft Vmounted parallel to thelower edge thereof', arms on the'shaft adapted to bear onthe 'door for holding the same in place against both opening and closing lateral movement, a handle on the shaft for manipulating the` same and means for lockingthe handle in place, thereby holding thedoor in a plurality of partly opened or in closed positions. n j

n slidably suspended freight car door -having a plurality of depressions formed kin the lower portionthereof, a shaft mounted parallel to the lower edge ofthei'door' andan arm extending from the shaftadapted to be ypressed into any one of .the ,depressions for `holding lthe ldoor against sliding movement,'thereby holding` the door in an adjusted opening orv in its closed position against lateral movement in both directions.

means Vmovable transversely tothe plane Vof the door adapted to bear thereon forl holding the samein place, said suspending means comprising a` rod abovethe door opening hinged atpone endA with freedom of universal mo- Y 35 5.` In combination with a freight car door, Vmeans for slidably suspending said door, and

tion, and detachably secured at theY other end Y with means'on the` door slidable on said rod.

A 6. Incombination with a ,freight car door having a supporting means therefor, said door having aplurality 0f depressions'formed in the lower portion thereof,'ra shaft mounted parallel to.thelower'edge of the door and an'arm extending from the shaft adapted tolbe, pressed into' anyone ofthe depressions. fo'r vholding the door against sliding movement; said supporting means comprising a rodsecured above the door opening, a hood secured-to the door and extendingthruout ythe length thereof slidableon the rod,

and Vrollers supported on saidhood'below therod.y -v i 7.*I'n combination, a slidably suspended door having a depression in the face thereof, and a rockingarm forl engaging the depression forurgingV the door inwardly. l

` 8. I'n combination, a; slidablysuspended door havingl spaced apart depressionsV inI the face thereof,V rocking armsjfin complementarily spacedV relation tofthedepressions for cooperation therewith, 4and .means for securing. the armswithin the d'e-pressiolflsll 9. In combination, aslidably suspended door having spaced apart Vdepressions inthe leo its

face thereof, a, pivoted bar, arms carried by p the Y pivoted bar inZ spaced-relation complementarily to.V thel depressions; vfor lcooperation therewith in forcingthedoor inwardly and meansfor securing thefdoor ingits inwardly forced position.

10.*-In combinationv with a freight car door, having spaced apart depressionsl in the face thereof, means. forvslidably supporting the door, a rotatable shaft positioned beloW and adjacent the lower edge of the door, securing arms for cooperation with the depressions carried by the shaft and in complementarily spaced relation with the depressions, an operating handleafixed to one end of the shaft and means passing through the handle for locking the `arms Within the depressions.

In testimony whereof I affixmy signature.

FREDERICK JOHN HIRSCHMANN; 

